Higham Hill sits with Walthamstow Central to the east, bordered by the Lee Valley Reservoir Chain to the north and west. The south is less well-defined, blending into the Blackhorse Road area. The area is primarily residential, with a mixture of Victorian and interwar housing, as well as post-war council flats. Art deco factory sites also feature in the area, as are other forms of interesting industrial architecture. Blackhorse Lane (north of Blackhorse Road) is Higham Hill’s high street, hosting a number of amenities and local businesses. The defining feature of the area, however, is the natural sites, with views that overlook Epping Forest to the east and frontages of the River Lee. The largest urban wetlands in Europe – Walthamstow Wetlands, recently opened in the reservoirs, transforming a previously derelict area into a free public bird sanctuary.

The manor of Higham is noted in the Domesday Book, and the original Higham House was located here despite it now sitting further east in Woodford Green. The area was held by the Heron family for a long time, until it was seized due to the marriage of a daughter to Sir Thomas More, who was branded a traitor in the 1530s. The area only sustained a small hamlet until the enclosures of the mid-1800s, whereby some suburban development crept in. By the end of the century Higham Hill had become densely built, with a slew of slum clearance and rebuilding programmes required following the First World War. This continued on to the post-war period in the 1960s and 1970s.

Banbury Reservoir was built under the East London Water Works Acts of 1897 and 1900, and was completed in 1903, to be taken over by the Metropolitan Water Board in 1904. The area has a few burial sites, including a designated Gypsy and Traveller site and Waltham Forest Muslim Cemetery near Folly Lane.

Clement Attlee was the MP for Walthamstow when he served as Prime Minister from 1945 to 1951, under a Labour government. He swept into power with an unprecedented 12% swing (still the largest ever in British electoral history). He was responsible for creating the National Health Service and nationalising Britain’s major industries and public services, as well as overseeing the decolonisation of India, Pakistan, and many other countries following the Second World War. Depending on who you ask, he is sometimes portrayed as the most successful British Prime Minister of all time.

Walthamstow Wetlands is home to many bird species, such as pochard and peregrine falcons. It is also home to rare breeds like the (badly misnamed) common kingfisher, which breeds in the area. It is also London’s largest heronry and recreational fishery (trout, carp, and perch are all present in the lakes). The Victorian Marine Engine House in the Wetlands, originally the Ferry Lane Pumping Station, was built in 1894 to serve the reservoirs which were being constructed at the time. It fell into disrepair for a period of time and is currently being renovated for the public to enjoy.

Being at the edge of Walthamstow, Higham Hill is not the best connected area in terms of public transport. However there are direct and frequent buses to Walthamstow Central station which is on the Victoria Line. Blackhorse Road Overground station is also less than 10 minutes walk away meaning it is possible to commute into the centre of the city. The relative isolation does also come with benefits, with one resident stating that the area has an emerging sub- culture and a village feel due to the plethora of independent local shops and businesses.

Looking forward, nearby Walthamstow Mall is set for redevelopment, in a scheme which will also involve the renovation of the town square and the creation of 350 new permanent retail jobs. On the other side of Higham Hill some residents are concerned about the redevelopment of Uplands Business Park on Blackhorse Lane. The site was recently acquired for £51 million by Blackrock - the world’s largest investment manager - whose proposed scheme will include 1,800 new homes in a number of towers which will stand up to 38 stories tall.